Venezuela’s opposition wins EU’s top human rights prize – POLITICO

Following elections in Venezuela at the end of July, in which current socialist president Nicolás Maduro declared victory for another term, the European Union’s foreign service said it would not recognize the results because the government had not released voting records in support of the assemblies. of vote.

Authoritarian Maduro’s contested declaration of victory sparked massive opposition protests and a violent government repression that left more than two dozen people dead and almost 200 injured.

Later, presidential candidate González — who fled to Madrid during the repression — was recognized by the European Parliament as the country’s legitimate leader.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was named in honor of Andrei Sakharov, the Soviet physicist and political dissident. Shortlisted candidates are traditionally invited to Parliament’s awards ceremony, which takes place during the December plenary session in Strasbourg.

Two other finalists made the list. One of them was Gubad Ibadoghlu, a jailed Azerbaijani dissident and critic of the fossil fuel industry appointed by the Greens. The other finalist was a joint nomination from Israeli and Palestinian peace organizations Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun. The groups, which announced a partnership in 2022, were nominated by the Socialists and the Renew group.

Venezuela’s democratic opposition also won the award in 2017.